Steve Bates, chief petitioner and representative of the Boring Business Coalition, said the petition to end the TriMet Line 84 service to Boring is a result of what he feels is an unfair tax burden placed on businesses.

Because of the infrequent stops, Bates and other business owners said, the line, which operates on a budget of $135,000 per year, is impractical for employee and patron use, despite the fact that business taxes fund the route.

Boring residents don't get much use from the route, either — the Line 84 bus, which runs from Gresham to Boring, serves an average of about four riders per day in Boring.

Since 1989, five other Clackamas County cities have pulled out of TriMet service — Wilsonville, Damascus, Molalla, Canby and Sandy — and all but Damascus have created their own transit system to compensate.

With the 844 signatures collected — 703 were necessary — a tentative schedule for the process begins.

By Oct. 10, a study should be done of the withdrawal area to determine the impact of a withdrawal on the area.

By Nov. 3, a public hearing will be held in Boring. The location has not yet been determined.